


In Plain Sight

by cellostiel



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Multilingual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-26 02:44:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9858461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cellostiel/pseuds/cellostiel
Summary: "Say that again. What you said in Nepali. Say it in Japanese.""Is that what concerns you? I assure you, it was nothing of import. It was simply-""Please."Genji all but begs. "Say it in Japanese. I need to hear it in Japanese."Zenyatta is silent. His hands wring together. Genji is in agony, waiting like this.Finally, Zenyatta says, "I fear what you may think of me once I tell you."-Zenyatta sometimes talks to himself in Nepali. Genji is determined to find out what he is saying.





	

**Author's Note:**

> trying to get *good* botched translations for this was really fun, haha. if you're interested, the original text for the translated sections are in the bottom notes. 
> 
> anyway, enjoy!

Zenyatta talks to himself sometimes - nothing worrying, just idle thoughts mumbled aloud. He does it in many languages, but Nepali takes the stage more often than not. When Genji asks what his master is saying, he gets a, "Oh, just a silly thought, nothing to be concerned about. My apologies for distracting you." and that's it. Genji has tried to respect his master's privacy, but that familiar itch of curiosity keeps rising up, and he finds himself falling into patterns of his youth.

He starts keeping a small recorder in a compartment in his arm, next to his shuriken. A devious tactic, but he is a ninja, after all. Through the day, he clicks on the recorder with a subtle shift of his arm whenever Zenyatta starts murmuring to himself. He plays it back to himself late at night when he's alone in his room, using his phone's admittedly shitty translate app to try and get a sense of what his master has been saying. 

He pulls up a clip from that morning, when they were meditating under the sunrise, birds chirping around them as they started their day and a soft breeze catching the grass underneath them. Zenyatta had hummed softly, then began speaking. 

In a tinny, robotic voice that leaves him wanting his master's soothing drone, his phone churns out,  _ "My beautiful sparrows, so lovely in the morning light. I could never have qualified for such a gift? You really so beautiful, and I am blessed his presence." _

Genji's cheeks color. This has to be a mistranslation. Well, obviously the translation is a bit botched gramatically, but it can't be at all what he's hearing. He can't even allow himself to hope it is.

He scrubs forward to the next clip, where the two were walking through the village and stopped at a fruit stand. Genji was excited to see they'd gotten plums in from somewhere. Proper, Japanese plums at that. 

"They have always been one of my favorite foods," Genji had explained. "I've always loved their sweetness." 

To that, Zenyatta had apparently replied,  _ "I bet you have more sweet."  _

Genji places his face in his hands. He could die. The next clip plays.

_ "I, too, my dear sparrow adore." _

Such kind, caring words. Even with the lifeless voice of the translator, Genji's body sings with every syllable, almost to a point past bearing.

It continues on, and on, and  _ on. _

_ "How dear you are to me only if I can express." _

_ "My beautiful student, so cute. If you think about me?" _

_ "If only I could say my feelings." _

_ "You feel the same way?" _

Genji's entire being is on fire. What is all this? This cannot be the truth, can it? But what if it is? What if his master has been harboring some form of feelings for him this entire time? But why say such things out loud? Has he been hoping to be caught?

There is only one way to find out. Genji sets up a direct feed to his visor, which will display translated text as Zenyatta speaks. The next time Zenyatta attempts to perform this little charade, Genji will catch him and confront him on it.

He attempts to act normally through the next day, waiting for Zenyatta to slip into Nepali. Of course it is the one day where it seems to be the farthest thing from the omnic's mind.

"Are you well, Genji?" Zenyatta asks. "You seem rather agitated today."

"Ah," Genji cringes, caught. "It is nothing, Master. It is a matter that shall be resolved soon."

"Mm, I do hope so. I hate seeing you upset in this way."

"I apologize, Master. I do not mean to upset you."

"Oh, no, do not apologize. Simply let me know if there is anything I can do to aid you." 

"I will." 

"Very good. Shall we?" He gestures along the path. Genji nods, and they continue their walk. 

Some time later, as they're walking down the more scenic route they have decided on for today, Genji notices Zenyatta has been watching him for a while. Genji leaves him alone, silently buzzing under his skin. This could be it. Zenyatta will say something, and Genji will ask him once more what it means. He will be persistent, he will not stop until he gets an  _ answer _ -

_ "I wonder if you love me back." _

Genji halts. All of the air leaves him. It takes a moment or two for Zenyatta to notice, seemingly caught up in his own thoughts. He turns back towards Genji, asks,

"Genji? Are you alright?" 

Genji finds he can't quite speak. His heart will not beat. The words stick to the screen of his visor, taunting him. 

"Genji?" Zenyatta asks again, worry lacing his voice as he takes a step forward. 

"Master-" Genji finally chokes out. "Master, what…" 

"Genji, you are worrying me. What is the matter?"

"Say that again. What you said in Nepali. Say it in Japanese."

"Is that what concerns you? I assure you, it was nothing of import. It was simply-"

_ "Please."  _ Genji all but begs. "Say it in Japanese. I need to hear it in Japanese."

Zenyatta is silent. His hands wring together. Genji is in agony, waiting like this.

Finally, Zenyatta says, "I fear what you may think of me once I tell you."

"Master, I know. I have been using a translation application. I just- I need to hear it in a language I understand. Please, Zenyatta."

Zenyatta seems frozen in place. "You know?"

"I know what it says, but I do not know if I can believe it."

Zenyatta's mala spin erratically around his neck. "Then I suppose… I suppose it is cruel to leave you to hang like this." Zenyatta does not need to breathe, but he still seems to take a deep breath before saying,

_ "I wonder if you love me back."  _

The translator picks up the Japanese, translates into English,  _ "I doubt if you love me." _ and a wrecked laugh escapes Genji.

"Master-"

"I am sorry to put this on you, my student. I never wished to burden you in any way." 

"Zenyatta."

The omnic pauses at the use of his name. Genji reaches up to remove his mask, carefully clipping it to his hip before stepping forward and cupping Zenyatta's face with his hands.

"You do not have to wonder. I have loved you for the longest of times."

"Ah." Zenyatta places his hands over Genji's, head tilting in his version of a smile. "How wonderful. I had feared you would find yourself troubled by my affections. I never imagined you might return them."

"Would you tell me how to say it in Nepali?" 

Zenyatta presses their foreheads together, says,  _ "Ma timīlā'ī māyā garchu." _

Genji smiles and repeats, the words tripping over his tongue, fumbling with his accent. Zenyatta laughs and squeezes his hands.

"Perfect." Zenyatta bumps their foreheads lightly together, says,  _ "Daisuki desu. Watashi no saiai no suzume." _

Genji could burst with happiness. Instead, he leans forward and kisses his beloved. Zenyatta tilts into it, starts murmuring in every language in his programming, an endless stream of _"I love you"s._ Genji laughs against the seam of Zenyatta's mouth, kisses him harder, says between kisses, "I love you, _I love you,_ _ma timīlā'ī māyā garchu."_ He even throws in some awkward spanish he learned from McCree, _"Te amo."_

"My lovely, sweet Genji. My beautiful sparrow. I am sorry to have tried to hide this from you in such plain sight."

Genji shakes his head, kisses Zenyatta's cheek. "No, I am sorry for going behind your back. As glad as I am about the outcome, I should have respected your privacy."

"Hm, maybe so, but in this instance I am glad you did not." Zenyatta places a hand on Genji's face, thumb stroking the discolored patch of skin on his cheek. "I love you." 

"And you, Master." Genji kisses him again, and Zenyatta hums happily against him. "I love you dearly."

"And what a joy is such a thing. My dear Genji." He presses against Genji's lips for one more kiss before asking, "Shall we continue our walk?"

Genji smiles against his master's faceplate. "I would like nothing more." 

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the text I put into google translate to get the botched translations, plus one (hopefully correct) translation for Zenyatta's line in japanese.
> 
> My beautiful sparrow, so lovely in the morning light. What could I have ever done to deserve such a gift? You truly are so lovely, and I am blessed by your presence.
> 
> I bet you are more sweet.
> 
> I adore you so much, my sweet sparrow.
> 
> If only I could express how dear you are to me.
> 
> My wonderful student, so lovely. What do you think about me?
> 
> If only I could tell you my feelings.
> 
> Do you feel the same way?
> 
> I wonder if you love me back.
> 
> Watashi no saiai no suzume. = My beloved sparrow.


End file.
